Cal State Long Beach Student Yanira Rivas Named Recipient of the 2026 Bergmeyer Scholarship + Experience

PAVE Global, in partnership with Bergmeyer, is pleased to announce Yanira Rivas, a junior in the Interior Design program at California State University, Long Beach, as the recipient of the 2026 Bergmeyer Scholarship + Experience.

“In collaboration with PAVE, Bergmeyer would like to congratulate Yanira Rivas from California State University, Long Beach, as the recipient of the 2026 Bergmeyer Scholarship and Mentorship Experience. We sincerely appreciate all the talented design students from colleges and universities across the United States and Canada who applied for the annual Bergmeyer Scholarship with PAVE. Bergmeyer is honored to recognize Yanira for her exceptional design thinking and beautifully crafted portfolio. Her work reflects a sophisticated aesthetic, with thoughtful spatial layout, material selections, and lighting that shape environments centered on collaboration, wellbeing, and human connection.” – Catherine Keywan, Senior Associate + Senior Interior Designer

Rivas was selected from a competitive pool of applicants representing colleges and universities across the United States and Canada. Her work demonstrates a clear and consistent focus on designing environments that support human connection, with projects that explore how space can foster community, interaction, and a sense of belonging.

Her portfolio reflects a thoughtful approach to spatial planning and user experience. From reimagining a neighborhood café as a more welcoming community hub to developing a workplace concept centered on emotional, cognitive, and physical connection, Rivas’s work demonstrates a strong understanding of how design decisions shape how people move through and feel in a space.

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Selected Works from the Portfolio of Yanira Rivas - Click for a Closer Look 

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In her scholarship essay, Rivas reflects on the role of emerging technologies in design, writing,

“AI can generate layouts, images, and even design concepts, but it does not experience space. It can recognize patterns in human feelings, but only at a surface level. It cannot fully understand the layers of emotional realities that shape how people move, feel, and connect in their natural environments.”

The 2026 Bergmeyer Scholarship + Experience includes a $6,000 scholarship along with an immersive, in-person mentorship experience at Bergmeyer’s Boston headquarters. Travel expenses, including airfare, hotel, and per diem, will be covered for the selected recipient.

Through this experience, Rivas will gain hands-on exposure to professional practice while engaging directly with industry leaders on a multidisciplinary team. Combined with the scholarship, the program provides both financial support and real-world insight, helping her build connections as she transitions from classroom to career.

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About Bergmeyer

Bergmeyer is a multi-disciplinary Design Collaborative of architects, interior designers, graphic designers, and brand strategists; inspired through partnership, thoughtfully creative; driven by curiosity and boldness to fulfill the potential of each relationship. Implicitly trusting of its people and process, Bergmeyer celebrates a culture of inclusion and connection to a shared purpose. Bergmeyer’s approach to design is empowering and ego-free, forming proactive partnerships with its clients and project teams to create a shared sense of ownership throughout the entire creative process. Bergmeyer designs for its clients’ clients, the people whose lives and experiences are enhanced by its work. Challenging its teams to focus first on understanding the end user, the customers, students, employees, visitors, and residents, while delivering on its clients’ vision and return on investment. Bergmeyer has offices in Boston, Los Angeles, and Columbus. Bergmeyer is proud to be a Certified B Corporation, serving as an active member of a global community with a common belief in using business as a force for good. For more information on Bergmeyer, please visit www.bergmeyer.com.

About PAVE Global

Founded in 1992 as The Planning and Visual Education Partnership, PAVE Global is a 501(c)(3) charitable foundation that enables young talent to build successful careers designing and creating consumer environments. PAVE cultivates relationships between students, educators, and the design industry through financial assistance, top-industry thinking, inspiration, and mentorship. Learn more at www.paveglobal.org.